Animals in the Afterlife
Do animals have souls? Views of organised religions
It is very difficult to give a concise tour of the views of organised
world religions on the issue of animals having souls (or not) - and
whether their souls live on after physical passing. Two factors make this
a hard task:
1. Within many religions, and even within specific branches of a
religion, opinions differ widely;
2. Religions differ over whether animals' souls are immortal or limited to
their earthly lives.
Thus in many cases I cannot straightforwardly state, "Religion X
does/does not believe animals have souls which continue after physical
death". Disagreements on the issue frequently cut across faith boundaries.
In general, I have tried to avoid adding comments. This page is designed
to be informational and is based on years of research. I leave you, the reader, to decide whether the views
of any of the organised religions are of relevance to you....
Christianity
This has many branches. I will not attempt to cite all branches, but the
main ones are:
Catholic
Pope John Paul II said in 1990: "...also animals possess a soul" and "In this respect, man, created by the hand of God, is identical with all other living creatures." A few Catholic sites, however, claim that animal souls cease to exist on death and do not go to heaven - e.g. Catholic Answers. Other Catholic sites disagree, e.g. US Catholic. In 2014, Pope Francis' spokesman revealed that a previous pontiff (not Pope Francis) had said that animals would be in heaven: "Pope Paul VI, who died in 1978, once said...'One day we will see our animals in the eternity of Christ'."
Liberal Protestant
Opinions differ. The Anglican Church generally is positive on the issue. In
1998 the Lambeth Conference declared: "human beings are ...
co-partners with the rest of creation" and "the redemptive purpose of God in
Jesus Christ extends to the whole of creation." The Methodist view on
animals is summarised by John Wesley: "They will be restored, not only to that
measure of understanding which they had in paradise (Eden), but to a degree
of it as much higher than that, as the understanding of an elephant is
beyond that of a worm." Lutherans generally follow the words of Martin Luther: "In Paradise there was complete harmony between man and animals; one day again that harmony will be restored and all creation will be made anew as Christ will be in all and all" (The Life and Letters of Martin Luther (London: John Murray, 1911, 362).
Evangelicals
One camp (Church
of Christ) is definite that animals have no place in the afterlife:
"In the sense of possessing a part or element that lives forever, as man
possesses, animals do not possess an eternal spirit." Baptists are divided on the question or say that the biblical evidence is limited. But veteran evangelist Billy Graham was clear on the issue:
"If we need animals around us to make our happiness complete, then you can be sure God will have them there".
Orthodox
It is generally accepted that animals have souls, but some Orthodox sites claim that animal souls are not immortal - i.e. they do not go to heaven. Others are simply unsure of an answer, such as the Orthodox Church in America.
Mormon
One of the very few cases where the religious position is clear! The Mormons are unambiguous on the issue, especially in this blog by a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Another example can be found on the Learn Religions website.
Sikhism
Sikhs believe in vegetarianism and kindness towards all animals. They also accept that animals have souls which live on. This can be seen in the following summary: "Sikhism teaches that all beings, including animals and humans, have a soul, known as the atma and are part of the cycle of reincarnation."
Islam
The general view is that animals do have souls. Opinions differ on what
happens to them on Judgement Day. Some say that they will be turned to dust and that is
the end of them. Others claim that "the bodies of animals will transform
into dust after the stage of reckoning but
their spirits will live eternally." (Cited from questionsonislam.com)
Judaism
Opinions vary between different branches of Judaism and between individual
rabbis. One rabbi on a major Jewish site writes, "...since animals lack a divine soul, when the body expires, their animal soul expires, too. So even though they have an important place in this world, there is no heaven for animals." A more sympathetic discussion of the issue is on Yonassan Gershom's blog, who says that a clear yes/no
is not possible.
Hinduism
This religion actually has a god whose form is part human, part elephant:
Ganesha. Hindus believe that animals do live on after passing, as part of
the reincarnation process: "Every single being in the animal kingdom has a
soul...Every human being has already crossed through every single form of
insect life, plant life and animal life." The full text is here.
Buddhism
Buddhists believe in rebirth of all life, but it is
more a case of a "dying candle lighting a new one". In other words, an
animal (or human!) does not survive as an individual, but rejoins the
universe and is reborn as someone/something new. Crucial in all this is the
idea of anatta
("Not self"). The way to reach enlightenment is to put one's own "self"
aside. Hence we would not meet with family, nor friends, nor animals, after
passing over.
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